1. Technical Field
The present disclosure is directed to sleep systems and, more particularly, to mattresses and bedding for infants and toddlers to be used in crib and cradle safety sleep systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cribs and cradles are utilized by infants or young children during sleep and nap times as well as for resting while awake. A typical crib has a base, a soft mattress resting on the base, and side rails surrounding the mattress to keep an infant from falling off the mattress. One or both side rails have top and bottom rails with vertical slats extending there between. These side rails are usually configured to raise and lower to facilitate placing and removing a child from the crib and changing the bedding and, at times, the mattress. However, the side rails of a crib can often pose dangers for young children, such as hitting their heads on the hard surface or getting limbs stuck between individual vertical slats. As a result of these dangers, crib bumpers have become popular to act as a buffer between a child and the side rails.
Many people find crib bumpers necessary for one of three reasons: to protect a child from the hard surfaces of the crib or cradle, to prevent a child's limbs from extending through the slats resulting in strain or injury, or to simply provide an environment in which a child can have a more restful sleep.
Traditional crib and cradle bumpers create a “wall” that lines the inside perimeter of the bed. These bumpers block the child's access to the vertical slats and the space in between each vertical slat. Unfortunately, these bumpers can also block airflow to the child, especially young infants who can be smothered or tangled in the flexible ties used to hold the bumper to the side rails and end boards of the crib. This style of crib bumper has generally been made of a continuous, soft, quilted pad that is fastened to the vertical rails of the crib by ties similar to shoe laces. There are a number of reasons why this is not safe for a child. First, the pad does not allow for proper airflow to the child and a child can suffocate if their airway is blocked by the soft pad (at a young age, children do not have the instinct to move away when their airway is blocked). Second, because the pads are secured to the railings instead of the mattress by the ties, children can get their faces or limbs wedged between the bumper and the mattress causing injury or suffocation. Finally, these pads are typically secured to the rails with some type of fastener, generally ties, that do not hold the bumper tightly to the rails and slats, which can pose a strangulation or choking hazard for children.
There are also new types of “wall” bumpers made of mesh. These do allow for airflow while keeping a child's limbs from becoming stuck in the side rails, but they do not provide any protection from the hard surfaces of the rails or crib. This could result in injury to the child or, at minimum, could wake a child if they bump too hard into the sides of the crib or cradle. One example of a mesh bumper can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 8,161,584, which uses a mesh means at the base of the bumper where the bumper meets the mattress. Additionally, this system uses a fastening device to attach the mesh to the fitted sheet. This can either be in direct contact with a child, possibly resulting in injury, or be can lead to the child being covered with a “flap,” leading to suffocation.
Another solution has been to wrap each vertical slat individually. One example of such a bumper can be seen in published Patent Application WO 2009117180. Although this method provides protection from the hard, internal surfaces of the crib and allows for airflow, it does not prevent a child's limbs from extending through the vertical rails. This could cause injury or allow a child to wake from restful sleep when turning or changing positions in the crib or cradle.
One other proposed solution can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 7,774,874, which uses triangular bumpers around the inside perimeter of the crib or cradle. However, this design still poses several potential safety hazards. A child can easily get caught underneath the device because it rests directly on top of the mattress without being secured to the mattress in any way. If a child accidentally places their head or limbs under the bumpers, they could suffocate or sustain injuries. In addition, the bumper is attached via cords, snaps or some kind of tie to the rails of the bed, which present a significant choking or strangulation hazard to children.
Accordingly, there is a need for a protective system for cribs, cradles and toddler beds that does not pose any significant hazards or dangers to a child, and keeps the child centered in the safe middle section of the bed.